Of the preparation to the crosse, and to deathe and of the comforte vnder the crosse and death, two bokes very fruictefull for deuoute people to rede, translated from latyn to englysshe, by Rycharde Tracy.

¶In tribulation we muste praye. Cap. vii.

HERE are we taughte, what a chrysten man muste doo in temptation, whenne he seeth hym selfe forsaken of al men, that is, to praye, and not to ceasse to praye, but to praye in feyth, mystrusting nothinge, for he that mystrusteth, is lyke the raige of the see, whiche is caried with the wynde, and tos∣sed and dryuen with vyolence. Whiche thinge also Chryste war∣ned vs of, sayinge. Watche and praye, that ye entre not into temp∣tation. So lyke wyse Salomon: Sonne, in thy syckenesse despyse

not thy selfe, but pray to the lorde, and he shal heale the. Therto god hath also commaunded, that we shulde in tribulation call on hym: yea and calleth that inuocation or crying on hym, a sacrifice, the true and mooste accepted honour. For so saythe the psalm. Call to me in the day of thy trouble. And he ad∣deth promyses, And I wyll dely∣uer the, and thou shalt honour me And he sayde before in the psalm, that he regarded not the oblatiōs of beastes and such other workes, but that he delyteth in this sacri∣fice. if that we cal on hym in trou∣ble, and beleue, that he wyll helpe vs: and when we are holpen, to gyue thankes, and preache his be¦nefyte. And soo lyke wyse he cal∣leth the hope, wherby we tary his helpe in affliction, sacrifice. Sa∣crifice

you the sacrifice of iustice, and hope ye in the lord. as though he shulde say, that hope is a sacri∣fice, wherby we yelde iustyce to god, that (seinge he hath soo pro∣mysed) he wyl plucke vs out, and delyuer vs: for soo moche he is ryghtuouse and true. Thou seest then, that christian pacience hath euer hope annexed: but that hope beholdeth no creatures, but onely the word and promyse of god, and holdeth hope agaynste hope, as sayth Paule: that is when al cre∣atures fayle, and shewe no helpe at all, yet is there hope, that god wyll helpe. And thoughe he gyue vs not those thynges, whiche we wolde, or by that waye or meanes that we wyll, yet gouerneth he so the ende, throughe his wysedome and goodnesse, that we perysshe

not, and that our prayers be not spente in vayne. Paule teacheth the same in this gradation. Tri∣bulation bryngeth pacience, when he commeth thither, and teacheth vs, that we ought to holde a sure hope in tyme of trouble, and ad∣deth a promyse. Hope maketh vs neuer a shamed. We muste ther∣fore beleue, that we are harde of god, that god wyll helpe vs, and that we are defended of god. For so the psalmes commaunde vs to beleue and praye. And in my trou¦ble haue I cried to the lorde, and to my god haue I called, and he hath graciousely frome his holye temple harde my voyce. In trou∣ble thou hast called on me, and I haue delyuered the, I haue gra∣ciously herde the, in the darkenes of trouble. He hath cryed to me,

and I wyll here hym. I am with hym in trouble, I wyll delyuer hym, and he shall glorifie me. Of this matter we haue noo fewe ex∣examples. Chyldren prayed in the myddes of the fornace, and they were harde and delyuered. Dani∣el in the myddes of captiuitie, prai¦ed, and in the den of lions, and he was preserued. Susan forsaken of all men, prayed, and she was harde. Ionas in the bealy of the fyshe, prayed. Hezechias syckened euen to the deathe, he tourned his face to the wall, and prayed to the lorde, and the lord harde hym, and was made hole. Christ in the time of his tribulation and passiō prai∣ed, sheding forth dropes of bloud. Stephan in the myddes of theym that stoned hym, prayed. Whyle Peter was kepte in pryson, there

was prayer made of the congre∣gation for hym. Suche examples oughte to styrre vp our myndes and our faythe, to praye more dy∣ligently, and with a more feruent¦nes. For affliction, and the great waylynges and sorowe of the af∣flycted, are regarded of god, soo moche, that noo more acceptable sacrifice can be offered to god, thē if ye offer a contrite and an hum∣ble harte, whiche god neuer refu∣seth, as sayth the prophete. Who is lyke the lorde our god, whiche dwelleth in the hyghe, and yet re∣gardeth and beholdeth lowe thin∣ges? Whom shall I loke on, but on the poore and cōtrite in spirite, and hym that feareth my worde. The lorde is nyghe them, whiche haue a troubled harte. We are taught also, that the lorde behol∣deth

and hereth the prayers and crye of synners, of those synners, whiche althoughe they haue com∣mitted neuer so filthy offences, yet beleue that the lorde god is theyr god, for his promyse made to A∣braham: that is, whiche beleue, that they haue god the father pa∣cified in heauen for Iesus Chri∣stes sake. and through this fayth call to god, and are hard: through this faythe, theyr synnes commyt∣ted, ar washed away. And the prai¦er of the afflycted gothe throughe to the trone of the grace of god. This faythe is moche worthe, to perswade the hart of the afflycted in temptation, that his prayer is harde. And for as moche as god is more redier to here, then we to praye, we ought surely to beleue, that our prayers are not ydel, but

that they please god, and are vn∣doubtedly harde, as Sirach also doth warne vs: Before thy pray∣er, prepare thy soule, and be not, as a man that tempteth god, that is, lyfte vp thy mynde with a sure confidence, that god wyl here the, but not for thy worthynesse: But fyrste, bycause thou arte sure, that god hath commanded vs to pray, and for bycause god hath promy∣sed graciously to here vs. Secōd∣ly, for bycause thou haste a forme and maner of prayer assygned of hym. Wherfore we nede not to feare, that our prayer shuld offend hym, for god casteth of no manne that commeth vnto hym, yea he calleth all men vnto hym, whiche are troubled in hart: Come to me all ye that labour and are laden, and I shall refresshe you. Mary

Magdalyn was a synner, whiche afterwarde she beganne to washe Christes fete with her teares, she harde of Chryste. Thy synnes are forgiuen the. Also the thefe, in his extreme sufferynge, went to ioye. Lyke wyse of zach. Matth. Pe∣ter. For he came not to calle the ryghtuouse, but synners. He came to seke the loste shepe, and loste dram or grote. He hath promysed to them that repente, remission of synnes, and receyueth them in to his fauour, as the prodigal sonne. If we confesse our synnes, he is feythefull and ryghtuouse to for∣gyue vs our synnes, and to clense vs from al iniquitie. I haue said, I wyll confesse agaynste my selfe, my vnryghtuousenes, and thou haste forgyuen the wyckednes of my synne. Also if the wycked shal

repent from all his synnes, which he hath done, and shall kepe al my preceptes, and wyll kepe iudge∣ment and iustice, he shal lyue, and shall not dye.

¶Of prayer and the maner of prayer in tribulation.

¶PRAYER is the desyre of the harte for any thynge, to be requi∣red of god, it is the pensyfe syghe of godlye myndes, whiche calle on the name of the lorde. We are commaunded to praye: watch and pray. Also, Aske and ye shal haue. Aske and it shal be gyuen you. al∣so, Praye contynually. Agayne: Be busy in prayer, and watche in it. For god dothe not onely suffer vs to praye, but also commaun∣deth, as he hath commaunded vs, not to kyll, not to committe adul∣tery. Wherfore lyke as they sinne,

that kyll, or robbe, euen so do they that neuer praye.

¶Whose preyars are hard of god.

¶THE desyre of the pore, god he∣reth. The praier of him that meke neth him selfe, penetrateth & goth throughe the cloudes. He hath re∣garded the praier of the meke, and hath not despysed theyr prayers. The lorde is nyghe all them, that crye vnto hym in truthe. Suche worshyppers god requireth, whi∣che worshyp hym in spiryte. The ryghtuouse haue cryed, and the lorde hath hard them, and he hath delyuered them from al theyr tru∣ble. From the endes of the worlde haue I called to the, whē my hart was dysmaied, and in a rocke hast thou exalted me. To the lord haue I cried in my trouble, and he hath graciousey harde me. He behol∣deth

the lowly and broken in spi∣rite, and suche as feare his worde. Partes of trewe prayer, are the promyse, faythe, the affecte, to de∣syre in the name of Chryste, and thankes gyuynge.

¶The promyse of god.

¶VVHAT so euer ye aske the fa∣ther in my name, he shall gyue it you. Crye on me in the day of thy trybulation, and I wyll delyuer the, and thou shalte gloryfie me. He shall gyue good thynges to them that aske hym. I saye vnto you, what so euer thynges ye aske in your prayer, beleue that ye shal receyue, and they shal happen vn∣to you. Aske, and it shall be giuen you. If that two of you agree of any thynge vpon the erthe, what so euer thynge they shall requyre, it shalbe giuen them of my father,

which is in heuen. Call to me, and I wyll gracyousely here the. In prayer, goddes promyse muste be consydered, howe god hath pro∣mysed, that he wyll here vs. For he whiche hath commaunded to praye, hath promysed that he wyl bothe here vs and helpe vs.

¶Faythe.

¶VVE muste praye with a confi∣dence, doubtyng nothynge. This is the confidence, whiche we haue towarde hym, that what soo euer we desyre, accordynge to his wyll, he hereth vs. A prayer withoute fayth obteyneth nothinge at god∣des hand. We must therfore pray in faythe. And if we aske in fayth, he hereth vs. Fayth is assuredlye to beleue, that god forgyueth vs our synnes, for Christes sake, and not only forgiueth our sinnes, but

also is present with vs, ruleth and gouerneth vs, that he maye make vs safe. In this faythe if we aske any thynge, god dothe graciouse∣ly here vs. For god wyll gyue all thinges to thē that beleue in him.

¶To aske in the name of Iesu,

¶IS to haue a respect, to the glo∣ry and wyll of god, that the name of god maye be glorifyed. For the ende of euery prayer, is the glory of god. To aske therfore in the name of Iesu, is to aske and de∣syre the glory of Chryste, and the spredynge abrode of his name.

¶The affecte to desire any thinge.

¶THE lordes prayer teacheth playnely, what thynge we shulde praye for. More ouer, fayth, hope, loue, pacience. We must also pray, that we be not tempted, for prayer onely obteyneth the victory of all

temptations. Also for publike and common necessities, for offycers, for peace.

¶Thankes gyuyng.

¶OFFER TO god, prayse. To the shal I sacrifice the host or ob∣lation of prayse, and I shall calle on the name of the lorde. I wyll blesse the lorde at all tymes, his prayse shal euer be in my mouthe. None turned agayne, to gyue glo¦ry to god, but the straunger. The faythfull gyue thankes, that they ar delyuered of theyr trouble, they magnifie god, and preache forth, his gyuynge of benefy••••es: but god oftentymes deferreth to here, to exercise the faythe of the godly, as it apereth in Syrophenisse, al∣so Luc. 18. and yet stynte not they to praye, nor mystruste god, al∣thoughe they obteyne not streight

wayes, that whiche they aske and desyre, but continue styll in pray∣er. For continuance in praier hath the rewarde. He continued in prai¦er, he praied the hole day through euen to euentyde, and was visited of Gabriell. We must prescrybe or appoynte no tyme to god. He that continueth knockynge, to hym it shall be opened. God gaue not to Abraham streyghte wayes, that which he promised. Therfore must we saye, If thou wylte lorde, thy wyll be fulfylled. Althoughe he shall kyll me, yet shall I truste in hym.

Notes

• Ia. 1.
• Matt. 16.
• Eccle. 38.
• Psal. 49.
• Psal. 4.
• Roma. 4.
• Psal. 17.
• Psal. 80.
• Psal. 9••.
• Danie. 3.
• Daniel. 9.
• Ionas. 2. Esai. 38.
• 4. Re. 20. Luc. 22.
• Act. 7.
• Act. 12.
• Psal. 112.
• Esai. 66.
• Psal. 36.
• Eccle. 18.
• Matth. 11.
• Luc. 7.
• Matth. 9.
• Luc. 18.
• 1. Ioh. 1.
• Psal. 31.
• Ezech. 18.
• Matt. 16. 1. Tes. 5. Colo. 4.
• Luc. 18.
• Eccle. 9.
• Psal. 101.
• Psal. 144. Ioh. 4.
• Psal. 33.
• Psal. 60.
• Psal. 119.
• Esai. 66.
• Ioh. 14.
• Psal. 49.
• Matth. 11. Marc. 11.
• Matt. 18.
• Hiere. 33.
• Ia. 1. 1. Ioh. 5.
• Psal. 49. Psal. 115.
• Psal. 33.
• Luc. 11.
• Luc. 18.
• Daniel. 9.
• Iudith. 9.
• Marc. 1. Iob. 13.